Science news

• Pupils find out results of ISS space seeds experiment

  02-11-2016 23:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Thousands of school children have been helping to carry out experiments to see whether seeds that have been in space grow as well as those that have stayed on Earth.
  
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• Can you solve this fiendishly tricky puzzle?

  02-11-2016 22:41
  
  Be warned, it’s not as easy as it looks.
  
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• Artificial intelligence needs smart senses to be useful

  02-11-2016 22:28
  Editor in chief Eva Emerson discusses the future of artificial intelligence.
  
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• Readers unimpressed by Earth's newest neighbor

  02-11-2016 22:27
  Exoplanet fatigue, runaway fish and more in reader feedback.
  
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• For robots, artificial intelligence gets physical

  02-11-2016 22:16
  
  Physical intelligence makes robots able to sense of the world around them.
  
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• Can using Facebook help you live longer? Scientists think so

  02-11-2016 21:24
  
  Researchers claim to have found a link between online social interactions and longevity.
  
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• Surprise! Newfound Asteroid 2016 VA Gives Earth a Close Shave

  02-11-2016 20:54
  A small asteroid buzzed Earth last night (Nov. 1), just hours after astronomers first spotted the space rock. The asteroid 2016 VA zoomed within about 48,000 miles (77,000 kilometers) of the planet at 8:32 p.m. EDT (0032 GMT on Nov. 2), according to researchers with the Minor Planet Center (MPC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The space rock, which is thought to be 23 to 72 feet (7 to 22 meters) wide, was traveling about 48,000 mph (77,000 km/h) relative to Earth during the close encounter, MP
  
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• New Alzheimer's Drug Clears Milestone in Human Clinical Trial

  02-11-2016 20:50 via rss.sciam.com
  
  A BACE1 inhibitor developed by Merck is now being tested for efficacy in larger studies
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• People settled Australia’s rugged interior surprisingly early

  02-11-2016 20:01
  
  Ancient colonists Down Under crossed the continent not long after arriving around 50,000 years ago.
  
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• Mars rover could one day 'sniff' out life on red planet

  02-11-2016 19:50 via cbc.ca
  
  A Mars rover could one day be equipped with a sensor that would allow it to "sniff" out signs of life.
  
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• Airbag bike helmets may be safer than conventional foam versions

  02-11-2016 19:48
  
  PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Bicycle helmets that utilize airbag technology instead of conventional hard foam may offer five times more protection against brain injuries, according to Stanford University researchers.
  
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• Saskatchewan man building wheelchair-accessible ATV

  02-11-2016 19:19 via cbc.ca
  
  A love of the outdoors and a power wheelchair are often at odds with one another. That's why Keith Lucyk of White City, Sask., is building a wheelchair-accessible ATV.
  
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• Rock shelter used by speedy early Australians

  02-11-2016 19:06 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The swiftness with which the first Aboriginal settlers spread across Australia is underlined by the discovery of an ancient rock shelter north of Adelaide.
  
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• What Is Dark Matter? Prime Candidate Gets Profiled

  02-11-2016 19:01
  
  The search for elusive dark matter may have just gotten a big boost. Scientists have calculated the predicted mass of the axion, a hypothetical particle that some astronomers think may be the main constituent of dark matter. The new finding should greatly aid the hunt for axions, and could therefore help solve the longstanding dark-matter mystery, study team members said.
  
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• Tim Peake schools seed experiment results released

  02-11-2016 19:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The results of a mass schools experiment led by Tim Peake have been released.
  
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• DNA clues to how chipmunk earned its stripes

  02-11-2016 19:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  New research suggests chipmunks and a type of mouse evolved stripes early in their evolution, which may have given them an advantage in outwitting predators.
  
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• Protective genetic variant may offer a path to future autoimmune therapies

  02-11-2016 19:00
  
  A natural tweak in the TYK2 protein strikes a balance between weak and overactive immune systems.
  
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• Gene gives mice and chipmunks their pinstripes

  02-11-2016 19:00
  
  A recycled regulator paints on rodents’ light stripes.
  
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• Risk experts: Candidates not focusing on biggest threats

  02-11-2016 18:51
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — It's a scary world out there, risk experts agree, but they say Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton often focus on the wrong dangers — fixing on hazards that are unlikely, or unlikely to cause massive pain.
  
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• Venerable elm tree finally succumbs to Dutch elm disease

  02-11-2016 18:28
  
  CHARLOTTE, Vt. (AP) — A venerable old elm tree that's believed to be the largest of its kind in New England has finally succumbed to Dutch elm disease in the Vermont town of Charlotte.
  
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• Buzz Aldrin Debuts 'First Selfie in Space' T-Shirt for Gemini 12 50th Anniversary

  02-11-2016 17:50
  
  Before he became one of the first men to walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin took the first selfie in space. Now, half a century later, Aldrin wants to put his trailblazing self-portrait on your body. "November is the 50th anniversary of my Gemini 12 mission.
  
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• Surf's Up! Solar Wave's Path Tracked Through Sun's Atmosphere

  02-11-2016 17:21
  
  For the first time, a certain type of solar wave was caught surfing from the sun's surface up through the star's atmosphere, lending insight into how the sun's material moves and mixes. The new imagery will help scientists better understand how the sun's lower atmosphere works, NASA officials said, and could help researchers solve a long-standing mystery about the sun: the coronal heating problem. "We see certain kinds of solar seismic waves channeling upwards into the lower atmosphere, called t
  
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• In Chris Hadfield's 'The Darkest Dark,' a Future Astronaut Faces His Deepest Fears

  02-11-2016 17:05
  
  Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield wrote "The Darkest Dark" to show a younger audience what it's like to face their fears. The first moonwalkers were a strong inspiration for Hadfield, who has commanded the International Space Station and flown on three space missions. "I served as an astronaut for 21 years, and I spoke in — gosh, I've lost count of the number of schools over those 21 years," Hadfield told Space.com.
  
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• Units of measure are getting a fundamental upgrade

  02-11-2016 17:00
  
  New units based on fundamental properties of the universe will make measurements more precise.
  
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• Cyberattacks and infowars: How the CIA is adapting to threats in the digital era

  02-11-2016 16:23 via cbc.ca
  
  When America goes to the polls on Nov. 8, according to current and former U.S. intelligence officials, it will likely experience the culmination of a new form of information war.
  
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• Bomb-Sniffing Bionic Plants Could Look for Pollution

  02-11-2016 16:02
  
  Bionic plants that can detect explosives in real time could be the future of environmental monitoring and urban farming, researchers said in a new study. The spinach plants have carbon-nanotube-based nanoparticles in their leaves that give off infrared light and are sensitive to the presence of nitroaromatics, key components of several explosives, the scientists said. If these chemicals are present in groundwater, they are absorbed by the roots and transported to the leaves, where they cause the
  
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• Mummified Poop Reveals Ancient Sloth Ate Mormon Tea and Saltbush

  02-11-2016 16:01
  
  An extinct giant sloth once used a spacious cave not just as a shelter but also as a massive toilet, leaving droppings on the cave floor whenever nature called. Chemical analyses of the fossilized poop, known as coprolites, revealed that the ancient sloths primarily chowed down on an orange-flowered perennial shrub known as desert globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), a shrub called Mormon tea (Ephedra) and a drought-tolerant plant known as saltbush (Atriplex), said Ryan Haupt, who is leading the i
  
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• Distracted drivers targeted by new tracking app

  02-11-2016 15:46 via cbc.ca
  
  Distracted driving researchers have developed a new app that allows anyone to stand on the side of the road and log all those who are texting, eating or yapping on their phones while behind the wheel.
  
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• A slow death along the Pilcomayo River

  02-11-2016 15:15
  By Daniela Desantis GENERAL DIAZ, BOQUERON, PARAGUAY (Reuters) - In Paraguay, alongside the Pilcomayo River, black vultures flew over a shrinking pond where a group of crocodilian reptiles known as yacare caimans sought refuge. Water from the river, which divides Paraguay and Argentina in the area of ​​the Gran Chaco, was scarce. This is not an uncommon sight in the region of ​​General Diaz, about 700 kilometres (435 miles) northwest of the country's capital Asuncion, whe
  
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• Ancient Cave Lion Cubs Found Crushed and Frozen in Russia

  02-11-2016 15:06
  
  For more than 30,000 years, northern Russia's cold permafrost has preserved the small bodies of two furry and wide-pawed cave lion cubs, one of them in almost pristine condition, a new study found. The two mummified cubs, nicknamed Uyan and Dina after the Uyandina River where they were found, were just about 1 week old when they died, likely crushed by "extensive collapse of the sediments in the den," the study's researchers wrote in a summary of their research. "They were squished to death," sa
  
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• Saturn's Gorgeous Rings May Be Dwarf Planet Carcasses

  02-11-2016 14:46
  
  Astronomers think that thousands of Pluto-size bodies once dwelled in the Kuiper Belt — the ring of frigid objects beyond Neptune's orbit — shortly after the solar system formed. The resulting gravitational jostles sent many objects in these two realms careening toward the inner solar system, causing an era of increased cosmic impacts known as the Late Heavy Bombardment.
  
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• Telescope reveals amazing pillars in star-breeding ground

  02-11-2016 14:33
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A peek into a distant star-breeding ground has uncovered scenes worthy of a watercolor master.
  
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• Mixed prospects for world's whales, meeting told

  02-11-2016 14:30 via cbc.ca
  
  As concerns grow for the West Coast's southern resident orca population, an international meeting hears a mix of optimism and lament for cetacean species around the world.
  
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• How to cast a ballot from the bush? This Yukoner used Skype

  02-11-2016 14:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Yukoner Norm Carlson will likely never see an election candidate at his door as he lives in a remote cabin. But he still managed to cast his ballot in the territorial election.
  
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• Having more trouble reading websites? You're not alone

  02-11-2016 13:26 via cbc.ca
  
  Do you ever squint at your smartphone, or have trouble reading text on a website? It's not just you. As CBC Radio technology columnist Dan Misener explains, parts of the web really are getting harder to read.
  
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• Toll rises to 17 in Pakistan oil tanker fire, many more feared dead

  02-11-2016 13:00
  By Gul Yusufzai QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani firefighters were battling on Wednesday to douse a fire still raging more than a day after a series of explosions on a decommissioned oil tanker, with the death toll rising to 17, and more than 20 workers missing, officials said. Tuesday's initial blast occurred as workers were welding near a fuel tank in a shipbreaking yard in Gaddani, 45 km (28 miles) northwest of the southern port city of Karachi, said Zulfiqar Bokhari, a local administra
  
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• Green group wins air pollution court battle

  02-11-2016 12:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Campaigners have won the latest battle in legal action against the UK Government over levels of air pollution.
  
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• Mouse Brain Visualized in Stunning 3D Detail

  02-11-2016 12:48
  
  "At the end of the day, we want to understand the human brain. Understanding the mouse brain is an important step toward that goal," Lydia Ng, senior director of technology at the nonprofit Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, told Live Science in an email. The resulting 3D structure, called the Mouse Common Coordinate Framework, is the equivalent of leveling up from simple paper maps to a Google Maps or GPS for the mouse brain, Ng said.
  
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• Original Bedrock of Jesus' Tomb Revealed in New Images

  02-11-2016 12:47
  
  New images from a conservation project in Jerusalem reveal the original limestone bed where the body of Jesus Christ is said to have been laid out after his crucifixion. My knees are shaking a little bit because I wasn't expecting this," Fredrik Hiebert, an archaeologist with the National Geographic Society, a partner in the excavations, told National Geographic magazine, which originally reported the findings. The supposed site of Jesus' burial was first identified as a holy place in A.D. 326,
  
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• 3,800-Year-Old 'Tableau' of Egyptian Boats Discovered

  02-11-2016 12:47
  
  More than 120 images of ancient Egyptian boats have been discovered adorning the inside of a building in Abydos, Egypt. The building dates back more than 3,800 years and was built near the tomb of pharaoh Senwosret III, archaeologists reported. The tableau, as the series of images is called, would have looked upon a real wooden boat said Josef Wegner, a curator at the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania, who led the excavation.
  
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• Polarizing Politics: 5 Reasons the 2016 Election Feels So Personal

  02-11-2016 12:46
  
  This year's presidential campaign has been rough. Trump, meanwhile, has been accused of groping and sexually harassing multiple women. Across social media, people publicly announce their plans to unfriend acquaintances on the other side.
  
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• National Geographic Channel's 'Mars': Does Art Imitate Life?

  02-11-2016 12:10
  
  "I think it may well be," said Andre Bormanis, the co-executive producer of the six-part series, which debuts on Nov. 14. In September, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk unveiled an ambitious plan to begin sending astronauts to Mars as early as 2024. Manning said that the question of whether life ever existed on the Red Planet — and whether it still does today — is a leading motivator for sending humans there.
  
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• 5 Things You'll See in Season 2 of Syfy's 'The Expanse'

  02-11-2016 12:01
  
  While they wouldn't answer that, the cast and crew of "The Expanse" did give Space.com some insight into what to expect in Season 2 at New York Comic Con on Oct. 8. "In the first season, the Rocinante crew are trying to figure out what's going on and they're just being thrown around," Steven Strait, who plays James Holden, told Space.com. Executive producer Mark Fergus said it's important to the cast and crew that the show is, at its core, about people.
  
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• Gorgeous Nebula Photos Reveal 'Pillars of Destruction'

  02-11-2016 12:00
  
  Colorful new images of the Carina Nebula, a massive stellar nursery 7,500 light-years from Earth, reveal that new star births are destroying the very clouds of gas and dust from which they spawned. Long, finger-like pillars and spires made of cosmic gas and dust protrude into space from all over the Carina Nebula. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile created the images with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument.
  
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• Mysterious underwater 'ping' baffles Arctic community

  02-11-2016 11:00 via cbc.ca
  
  The Department of National Defence says it is looking into a strange sound that seems to be emanating from the sea floor north of Igloolik. Its origin remains unknown but local hunters say it is scaring away the whales and seals they hunt in the area's ice-free water.
  
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• Baby rhino takes first bath

  02-11-2016 11:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A newborn rhino, born at Blank Park Zoo in the US city of Des Moines, has been taking her first bath.
  
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• Scientists have a new theory that might explain why the moon has a weird tilt

  02-11-2016 10:35
  
  The hypothesis also sheds light on why the moon has a similar chemical composition to Earth.
  
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• 'Feels like blackmail': Canada needs to take a hard look at its piracy notice system

  02-11-2016 10:00 via cbc.ca
  
  Piracy notices demanding settlement fees have left some Canadians fearful or confused. It may time for Ottawa to take a serious look at its 'notice-and-notice' system and what message it's trying to send.
  
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• Cybersecurity talent shortage on the radar of government, business

  02-11-2016 10:00 via cbc.ca
  
  An international shortage of cybersecurity talent is expected to grow over the next few years, according to the Information and Communications Technology Council.
  
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• 11 harmful things stress is doing to your body

  02-11-2016 08:13
  
  Damaging your teeth could be one of them.
  
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